20. November 2023
SMIGHT GmbH has added the new Grid2 Sensor Flex to its plug-and-play retrofit solution for measuring low-voltage outgoing circuits. The sensor has flexible Rogowski coils for phase-sharp measurement and is primarily used in difficult installation situations in local network substations and in cable distribution cabinets. This addition completes the Karlsruhe-based company’s portfolio and enables a comprehensive and mass-compatible expansion of grid monitoring.
The new Grid2 Sensor Flex is a product addition to the overall SMIGHT Grid2 grid monitoring solution, which is already installed in over 3,000 local grid stations, where it measures the current and voltage on around 24,000 outgoing cables with phase accuracy every minute.
To retrofit stations, the SMIGHT Grid2 Gateway and the current sensors with hinged core transformers can be combined with the new sensor type. The Grid2 Sensor Flex has four Rogowski coils, which are placed around the insulated conductors of the power cable according to the labeling (L1, L2, L3, PEN). Thanks to the flexible nature of the coils, installation is possible even in very tight installation situations. Even conductor cross-sections of up to 300 mm² are no problem for the Grid2 Sensor Flex.
In contrast to sensors with hinged core transducers, which generate the energy required for operation via energy harvesting, the Grid2 Sensor Flex has a power supply unit. This is connected directly to a load switching strip via CONLOX terminals in the low-voltage distribution board. The terminals are equipped with a fuse with a rated current of 6 A and a breaking capacity of 70 kA. The data is transmitted wirelessly as usual to the gateway and from there via mobile radio to the SMIGHT IQ web platform, where the data is processed and visualized.
“With the Grid2 Sensor Flex, we have closed the gap that we were missing in order to guarantee almost 100% installation success. We now have a complete solution that is suitable for all station types, cable distributors and cross-sections,” explains Oliver Deuschle, Managing Director of SMIGHT GmbH. “It was particularly important to us that we remained true to our motto: Simple to install, ingenious to implement.”
Data is the key
In the overall SMIGHT Grid2 solution, the hardware components for generating measured values are supplemented by operating services and, above all, meaningful data evaluations. The aim is to use the live data obtained from the grid to efficiently manage the existing processes of grid planning, grid operation and asset management. SMIGHT Grid2 measures, visualizes and analyses the available data so that distribution grid operators can cope with all the new variables of the energy and heat transition in the low-voltage grid and remain capable of acting.
Availability and product presentation
The Flex sensor can be ordered now and will be available from February 2024. At E-world energy & water (20-22.02.2024 in Essen, Hall 5, Stand 5D104), SMIGHT GmbH will present the Flex sensor to a wide audience, along with other innovations in the software.
